Will Pac-12 celebrate its swan song as the nation's top conference?

Tara VanDerveer thought she was in a nightmare when she first learned of the Pac-12’s impending demise. After spending 39 years on the sideline coaching Stanford, knowing the conference is coming to an end remains a difficult reality.

“The Pac-12 is something really special. We’re heartbroken it’s done. I’m still in a state of denial about it,” said Tara VanDerveer, who is 17 wins from surpassing Mike Krzyzewski (1,202) for the most victories in Division I college basketball history. “My whole life has been coaching in the Pac-12.”

VanDerveer helped elevate the Pac-12 to elite status, but ahead of 2024-25, everything will change. USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon head to the Big Ten, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah move to the Big 12, and Stanford and Cal join the ACC.

Still, when Pac-12 coaches gathered for media day earlier this month in Las Vegas, they didn’t spend too much time lamenting what will soon be lost. Instead, they focused on what can be won: a conference title in what might be the best league in the country in a season that could be the best the Pac-12 has ever had.

The inevitable disappearance of the Pac-12 is the headline story in conference realignment, but every Power 5 will be impacted moving forward. The 2023-24 season will represent the end of an era. But it’s not over yet.

Women’s college basketball’s top conferences have plenty of intrigue and questions ahead of the season tip-off Nov. 6. ESPN tackles the biggest questions that will impact the season and our writers predict which teams will win each Power 5 conference.

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What scenario has LSU not winning the SEC?

Creme: If defending national champion LSU doesn’t win the SEC, it’s likely more about what South Carolina or Tennessee did and less about what the Tigers didn’t do. The Gamecocks have a new look but remain supremely talented. If LSU senior Angel Reese isn’t conference player of the year, South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso or Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson likely will be. Led by Jackson, this might be the Lady Vols’ best team under Kellie Harper.

LSU is the most talented team in the SEC (and the country), and the Tigers also catch a scheduling break. They play their chief rivals just once each, and host the Gamecocks; South Carolina and Tennessee must play each other twice. The catch is that doesn’t give the Tigers a chance at redemption should they lose either or both of those games. If LSU slips in either matchup, the Gamecocks or Lady Vols might be good enough to run the table and win the regular-season title.

Philippou: On paper, LSU got even better this offseason with the arrivals of Aneesah Morrow and Hailey Van Lith, plus its stellar freshmen class. There might be questions over how that much talent (and personality) will all mesh together, but if anyone seems equipped to handle it, it’s Kim Mulkey.

Tennessee will be fascinating to watch. The Lady Vols lose Jordan Horston but bring back Jackson and Tamari Key, and will incorporate big-name transfers in Jewel Spear and Destinee Wells. Will they be able to build off their SEC championship game appearance last year, and finally break through in the NCAA tournament following back-to-back Sweet 16 exits?

Aside from Cardoso, the Gamecocks’ backcourt has the potential to be special behind Raven Johnson and transfer Te-Hina Paopao. We saw what Johnson could do last year in her first fully healthy season, while Paopao, a former Oregon Duck standout, brings outside shooting and an edge on the defensive end that should help ease her transition to Columbia.

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Will the ACC or Big Ten have the most competitive race?

Philippou: The Big Ten. How will Iowa look without Monika Czinano and McKenna Warnock? Does it matter when you have a player as transcendent as Caitlin Clark? The Hawkeyes will feel the loss of Czinano, but perhaps by the end of the season they’ll have figured things out.

Indiana will surely wish to avenge its shocking loss to Miami in the second round of the NCAA tournament, but without Grace Berger to lead the way, Mackenzie Holmes will be tasked with leading the effort.

I’m picking Ohio State to win the conference; even though the Buckeyes might have some question marks on offense following the departure of Taylor Mikesell, their defense/press should be even better than last year.

My bold prediction: Cotie McMahon could give Clark a run for her money as Big Ten player of the year.

Creme: Like last season, the ACC is deeper top to bottom than the Big Ten. But it didn’t take me long to pick Virginia Tech as the favorite to win the ACC this season.

Settling on a Big Ten favorite has kept me up at night. Ohio State, Iowa and Indiana are all top-10 caliber teams. Maryland could be, too. The Buckeyes get the nod because of what they are capable of on defense with Jacy Sheldon, Celeste Taylor and McMahon. But Clark’s Hawkeyes and Holmes’ Hoosiers are two of the best offensive teams in the country. Not only will the race to a Big Ten title be compelling, the entertainment value will be high. The first meeting among these teams is Indiana at Iowa on Jan. 13. Get that one on the calendar now.

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Are Baylor and Texas destined for one last battle to win the Big 12?

Creme: Prior to last year when Texas and Oklahoma shared the regular-season championship, Baylor had won 12 consecutive Big 12 titles. In those 12 years, the Longhorns finished second or third eight times. Perhaps it’s only fitting then that in the final season of the Big 12 as we know it — Texas and OU are heading to the SEC next year — the two teams that led the way in the conference will once again be its two best teams.

With Iowa State and Oklahoma suffering significant personnel losses, and no other Big 12 teams approaching the talent of Texas and Baylor, expect this to be a two-team race with the best players in the league residing in Austin and Waco. Rori Harmon of the Longhorns is the reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, and Baylor’s Darianna Littlepage-Buggs won conference freshman of the year. Both are now among the front-runners for Big 12 Player of the Year.

Philippou: Texas and Baylor received all the first-place votes for the top spot in the coaches’ preseason conference poll. Twelve of those 14 votes went to Texas, and I’d similarly give Texas the edge now given who it returns: Harmon, Shaylee Gonzales, Taylor Jones, DeYona Gaston and, whenever she’s back from injury, Aaliyah Moore — plus the addition of No. 12 recruit Madison Booker.

Elsewhere, it’ll be worth seeing how Taiyanna Jackson and Kansas emerge following their WNIT championship, and how Kansas State will look to contend with Ayoka Lee back from injury.

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Will the Pac-12 celebrate its swan song as the nation’s best conference?

Philippou: Pac-12 coaches have been saying for years they’re the best conference in the nation. They could get their point across even more this season, depending on the number of teams that end up in the top 25 and in the bracket, plus with so much attention on the league given its impending demise.

That said, when the time comes, will teams like Utah and UCLA be able to put themselves in the Final Four race/national title conversation? UCLA last advanced to the Elite Eight in 2018, although the Bruins had some bad luck with injuries/absences in recent years. Utah is newer to this stage, at least under Lynne Roberts, but the Utes showed they could compete with the very best by nearly taking down eventual national champion LSU in the Sweet 16. Now, it’s a matter of finishing the job.

Creme: The Pac-12 put six teams in ESPN’s preseason Top 25 and nine in the most recent Bracketology. Whether those numbers hold in March depends on two teams: USC and Washington State. UCLA and Utah are experienced with Final Four potential. Stanford is, well, Stanford. The Cardinal might not sit in their usual spot as Pac-12 favorite, but they remain good enough to beat anyone in the country. Colorado is also loaded with veterans and should deliver a top-25 season.

Less is certain about the Trojans and Cougars, although the ceilings are high. With Charlisse Leger-Walker and Bella Murekatete, Washington State has experience, but the 2023 Pac-12 tournament title was the program’s first taste of success in years. How will the Cougars play now that there are expectations?

USC is relying on many new faces. That one of them is JuJu Watkins, the top high school player in the country a year ago, makes USC intriguing. How that translates on the court might determine the Pac-12’s status among the best conferences in the nation.

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What surprises await in the ACC standings?

Creme: If we are trying to find this season’s version of Florida State, which was picked to finish ninth and rode the stunning freshman season of Ta’Niya Latson to a fourth-place finish, Virginia is the team to watch. There have been some lean years in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers haven’t had a winning record since 2018, but things seem to be turning around under coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton. They overcame a season full of injuries to reach 15-15. If senior Mir McLean and graduate student Sam Brunelle can stay on the court with Camryn Brown, Virginia could be ready for a big jump in the standings.

Philippou: Definitely look out for Virginia for the reasons Charlie laid out. Otherwise, so much about Notre Dame‘s ceiling will be impacted on if/when Olivia Miles returns from the knee injury she sustained at the conclusion of the 2022-23 regular season, although Irish fans have good reason to be excited about incoming freshman Hannah Hidalgo, the No. 5 recruit in her class.

Virginia Tech seems like the favorite to win the conference, especially with the return of Elizabeth Kitley for her fifth year, but I’ll have my eye on North Carolina, which has some experienced pieces in Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby while bringing in some intriguing transfers in Lexi Donarski and Maria Gakdeng.